A Matter of Life or Speed
by Aria Zephyr
Summary: COMPLETED! Sonic Comic Style. When the Knothole Freedom Fighters go on a mission to Robotropolis, all goes well until after their escape, leaving Sonic with two choices: either to lose his best friend's life...or his incredible speed...forever.
1. Part 1

Author's Note: This fiction is based on the Archie Comics version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Appalling as it may be to say, I've never read one, but I've spent enough time puttering around www.sonichq.com and reading fanfictions based off the comic book series to know a lot about the characters and their personalities. If there are any problems, like some details being wrong or left out, I apologize now; so this is your one chance to complain or forever hold your peace. Now then. . . let's get on with the story, shall we?  
  
(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)  
  
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents. . .  
  
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction  
  
Part One: Mission  
  
"I don't know, Sonic. If we bring Tails along with us on this mission, he might get hurt," Sally said as she and the blue hedgehog walked through the Great Forest. "Oh, come on, Sal! It'll be WAY easier for all of us if he comes and he's really been complaining that we still treat him like a baby," Sonic said. "I know, I know. He is as old as we were when we started fighting against Robotnik, but I still worry that something may happen to him, Sally said.  
  
"Tell you what; I'll stick with him the entire time while we're inside Robotropolis. That way, I can keep an eye on him and he won't get hurt, Sonic said. "But, what if something happens to you?" Sally said, gently teasing him. "Me? No way! They'd have to kill me first in order to hurt my little bro," Sonic said. "Alright; Tails can come, but you have to stay with him at all times, no matter what," Sally said finally. "I promise. Tails will be thrilled!" Sonic said. "Just remind him that this will be a serious mission; no goofing off. We'll be sabotaging one of Robotnik's main factories, so it'll be heavily guarded. We can't take any risks on this one or it will be our last," Sally warned. "Sure, no problem!" Sonic said. And with that, he raced off towards Knothole Village. "I just hope that nothing goes wrong. . . " Sally whispered to herself when he was out of sight.  
  
Sonic tore straight into the center of the village before he stopped. When he did finally stop, the wind that accompanied him had knocked Antoine off his feet. "Sonique! Zat was highly uncalled for!" The coyote said as he picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off. "Sorry, Ant. I'm in a hurry. I gotta tell Tails something. Do you know where he is?" Sonic asked. "He eez een his hut. And, what eez so important zat you have to knock me down?" Antoine asked. "I'll tell ya later. Or, you could ask Sally. See ya!" Sonic said as he ran to the hut that he and Tails shared.  
  
He knocked on the door and a voice from inside said he could come in. "Hi Sonic! What's up?" Tails asked brightly. "What's up is that Sally said you could come on the next mission with us!" Sonic said. "She did?! ALRIGHT!" Tails shouted. "It took a little persuasion, but she finally caved in under the condition that you have to stay with me the entire time," Sonic said. "That's not so bad. At least I don't have to stay here with Rosie and Amy while all of you are out there," Tails said. "You gotta remember that this isn't a game; this is serious. If one little thing goes wrong, we could all end up either being robots or ash heaps," Sonic warned. "Yeah, I know. It's not like this is the first time you've told me that," Tails shrugged. "I'm serious about that, Tails. The place we're going to has tons of robots guarding it. We can't just act like it's no big deal," Sonic scolded. "Okay Sonic; I get it. I promise that I'll be really careful," Tails said, looking at him with his most endearing eyes. "Okay, stop. You know that when you give me the sad-puppy-dog eyes, I give in," Sonic said, ruffling the hair on top of Tails' head.  
  
"So, when are we gonna go to the factory?" Tails asked. "We're going tomorrow night, so get plenty of sleep tonight. You don't want to fall asleep on your first important mission," Sonic said. "Okay Sonic. I've got an idea; let's race!" Tails said. "Sure, little bro. From the edge of the forest and back, okay?" Sonic said. "Okay! See you there!" Tails said as he flew out the door. "Hey! No fair! You got a head start!" Sonic said playfully, as he turned around and dashed out the door.  
  
The next night, all of the Knothole Freedom Fighters were gathered at the edge of the village. "Let's go over the plan one more time so that everyone knows it," Rotor suggested. "Okay. Sonic and Tails are going to distract the robots away from the factory while the rest of us sneak into the factory. Bunnie will be our back-up support if there are any surprises inside. When we're inside, Rotor's going to cut the factory's power supply while Bunnie, Antoine, and I go inside and destroy the machines. After we're finished, Dulcy will get most of us away from the city. Sonic will throw a time-bomb into the factory and get himself and Tails away as soon as possible. If anything goes wrong on your part, just use the walkie- talkies and warn the others and get away quickly. Remember, one small mistake could spell disaster for all of us, so don't take any chances," Sally warned.  
  
"Okay Sally-girl, we all get the picture. Now, let's get out be-hinds movin' and skedaddle!" Bunnie said. "Everyone knows what they're doing, right?" Sally asked. All of them nodded and an impatient Sonic said, "Can we go now?!" Everyone laughed and they all set off for Robotropolis.  
  
The city was just as filthy and polluted as ever and Antoine kept tripping until Dulcy picked him up and put him in her pouch. When they finally reached the factory, it loomed over them like an ominous giant. There was a large troop of SWAT bots standing at the front. Sally motioned to Sonic and he nodded. He took a golden power ring out of his backpack and signaled to Tails. Dulcy put Antoine down and took off into the air.  
  
The two snuck into the street in front of them and when they were only a few steps from the front, Sonic jumped out into full view and shouted, "Hey! SWAT butts! Over here!" All of the robots turned to look at him and they all muttered in the same monotone, "Priority one: hedgehog. Surrender or die!" "Make me!" Sonic taunted and started running away from them. The robots all followed him and he was soon joined by Tails, who lifted him above the shooting robots.  
  
The others ran to the front door and Rotor broke the code for the door lock. They all ran inside as Sonic and Tails ran back, leading the unintelligent robots around in circles. Some of the clumsy robots crashed into each other when the two boys took a sharp turn and when the sound of crunching metal started to come from inside the factory, Sonic and Tails started to smash them.  
  
The others ran outside and Dulcy fluttered down from where she had been hiding. She had her usual ungraceful landing, but no one cared right then. Rotor tossed something to Sonic as Dulcy braced to jump into the air. Sonic caught it and rushed into the factory. He set the bomb down in what seemed to be the center of the factory and pressed the large red button on it. Then, he ran out of the factory as quickly as possible. He snagged Tails' hand and ran away just as the factory blew sky high.  
  
Quotes from Part Two: Choose!  
  
"You can't die! You can't do this!"  
  
"Oh, come now! This IS a matter of life or death, so choose!"  
  
"Sonic! What happened to you?!"  
  
Author: That's it for part one, folks! Oh, and, by the way, as the authoress of the story, please call me Aria! That's everything for now! Please read and review! *vanishes in whirlwinds* 


	2. Part 2

Aria: Thank you to Dano the Overlander. I'm grateful for your advice, which will be put to use. Thanks also to Red Chaos Mage. I'll keep that in mind. ~_^! Moving on. . . here's part two of "A Matter of Life or Speed"!  
  
(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)  
  
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents. . .  
  
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction  
  
Part Two: Choose!  
  
Sonic and Tails were at the edge of the city when Sonic stopped to take a break. Tails flopped down next to him and panted. Sonic stooped over slightly with his hands on his knees breathing heavily, but was exhilarated at the success of their mission. "Did. . . you. . . see. . . how. . . high. . . that. . . thing. . . went?" he puffed. "I think that Robotnik will be really upset this time!" Tails said, grinning. "No doubt!" Sonic replied.  
  
Suddenly, a laser shot past him and hit Tails. He fell back with a loud scream of pain. "TAILS!" Sonic exclaimed and ran over to his friend. There was a small burnt spot on his chest where the laser had hit. "Tails! Tails! Wake up!" Sonic cried desperately. Tails' head lolled back lazily and Sonic checked his heartbeat. He cried out in despair and picked Tails up in his arms as the lasers came closer and nearly hit him.  
  
He ran blindly until he reached the Great Forest once more. He kept running until he tripped over a tree root and Tails was jolted out of his arms. When Sonic picked himself up, he saw the limp body of Tails lying at the foot of a tree ahead of him. Sonic stumbled forward and picked up Tails again. The boy fox lay cold and lifeless in his arms. Sonic fell back down again and whispered, "Why? Why did they have to. . .?" His words broke off in a mournful sob.  
  
Sonic looked down at Tails again and cradled the unresponsive body. "Tails.please don't go. Sally will lose it. Tails.you can't be dead! You can't die! You can't do this!" he cried in vain. Rage suddenly boiled up in Sonic. "IT'S NOT FAIR!! WHY TAILS?! WHY HIM?! WHY MY LITTLE BROTHER?! IT'S-NOT-FAIR!!!" Sonic screamed into the darkness. Hot, furious tears fell from his emerald eyes. He lay there for some time, letting the tears roll down his face; clasping Tails's stiffening body in his arms.  
  
When the last of his tears dried up, Sonic heard a voice saying to him, "Are you quite finished yet?" He stood up quickly and looked around him. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded. "My, my. Temper, temper, my boy. I'm not going to hurt you or your little friend, but I think that that would be impossible especially considering the fact that he's dead," the voice said. Sonic jerked back as if he had been stung and glared into the direction of the voice.  
  
"If you're wondering, yes, I know that the SWAT bots shot him. There's really no reason to cry about it," the voice said. "And, how would you know anything about that? He was like my little brother to me and now it's my fault that he's gone," Sonic said. "Oh, so that how you feel about it, hmm? This is more complicated than I thought," the voice said.  
  
"You still haven't answered my question," Sonic said impatiently. "I haven't, have I? Yes, I suppose so. Well, if you really want to know, I'm someone who can give your little friend there his life back and he won't even remember dying," the voice said. "How do I know I can trust you and believe what you're saying?" Sonic asked suspiciously. "Well, you don't, but if you want to have your friend back, you'll just have to take my word for it," the voice replied.  
  
"Then, you really can make him alive again?" Sonic asked. "Yes, I can, but you'll need to give me something in return," the voice said cryptically. "What's that?" Sonic asked. "Well, your speed will do," the voice said.  
  
Sonic was shocked and stood up straight in surprise. "Why do you want my speed? I need it!" Sonic said. "Well, I don't need it, but you'll have to pay me with something for my services," the voice said. "But why my speed? There must be plenty of other things that you could want," Sonic said. "Yes, but there's no way that you could have any of them, so you'll have to give me your speed or your friend will stay dead," the voice said.  
  
Sonic thought about this for a moment and tossed frequent looks at the still body of Tails. "Oh, come now! This IS a matter of life or death, so choose!" the voice said edgily. "Okay, okay! But, this isn't a matter of life or death; it's a matter of life or speed for me," Sonic said. He looked over at Tails one more time and then he sighed and said, "Alright, take it as long as Tails is alright." "Good! Now just hold still and he'll be back to life in two seconds," the voice said.  
  
Sonic stood still and waited as a blue column of light surrounded him. He screamed in pain as he felt something rip out of him. When the light vanished, he fell to his knees, not only from the pain the light had caused, but also because his ankle had been sprained when he had tripped before. His breath came out in short, jerky gasps as he sought to recover.  
  
"There, there. It's all right. You'll be just fine after a little while. And look, he's alive again, so be happy. Go on with your life, maybe we'll meet again," the voice said. "You never told me your name," Sonic gasped, with one hand clutched over his heart. "My name? Well, you can call me Taimat," the voice said.  
  
"How am I supposed to get back to the village without my speed when I have to carry Tails and I have a sprained ankle?" Sonic asked. "Well, when you put it that way, I'll let you have a little of your speed until you reach the village. After that, you're on your own, speed-demon," Taimat said. "Yeah, sure," Sonic said, getting painfully to his feet. A small blue point of light came from inside the brush and hit Sonic squarely in the chest.  
  
He didn't fall down again because when it hit him, it absorbed into his body. "There you go. Now hurry, you don't have much time left," Taimat said and ceased speaking. "Thank you, I think," Sonic said after Taimat. He checked Tails again and now Tails was breathing and his heart was beating with a steady rhythm. Sonic threw one of Tails' arms over his shoulders and lifted him up. It was hard because he had to hold Tails on the side with the sprained ankle in order to walk at all.  
  
He was able to run a little, but not much. When Sonic saw the village, he called for help. Sally quickly ran out of a hut and saw Sonic standing there holding onto Tails. "Sonic! What happened to you? We were worried!" she cried as she ran over to them. "It's a long story, but Tails fell asleep and when I was carrying him, I tripped and sprained my ankle," Sonic lied. "Here, let me carry him. You go and have Doctor Quack look at your ankle," Sally said, taking Tails in her arms and off to his hut.  
  
Sonic managed to get to Doctor Quack's hut where the duck bandaged the now swollen ankle. He told Sonic to put ice on it as much as possible to dull the pain and sent him back to his own hut. Sonic slowly made his way back to his hut and flopped down on his bed just as the first rosy sunbeams started to stretch over the horizon. He looked over at the now sleeping Tails and was soon fast asleep.  
  
Quotes from Part Three: With. . . or Without?  
  
"Sally, what would you do if something really bad happened?"  
  
"Oh dear, it seems my little request has caused you more trouble than I thought."  
  
"THEN WHY DID YOU TAKE MY SPEED FROM ME?!!"  
  
Aria: That's it for part two, folks! Oh and. . . my muse might be dropping by in the next chapter so. . . if you see anybody new in the author's notes, that's him. That's everything! Please read and review! Ciao! *vanishes in whirlwinds* 


	3. Part 3

Aria: Aah! *bows low to readers* I'm SO sorry that it's taken me so long to update! I didn't have enough time to work on anything but homework and projects! I'M SORRY!! Please forgive me?  
  
*oversized grey and white cat with white wings appears*  
  
Cat: Ah, suck it up, Aria. It's not like you waited 3 years to update.  
  
Aria: *straightens up from bow* Still. . . I don't like not updating if I can help it.  
  
Cat: Well. . . you couldn't, so be quiet and introduce me already.  
  
Aria: Alright, pain. This is Twisted Whiskers, my feline muse. But, he'll go as Twister from this point on.  
  
Twister: *flicks his tail* Hey, folks.  
  
Aria: *shakes a finger at him* Don't forget your job, fuzz.  
  
Twister: Alright. . . If at anytime in the story you see two of these * with words in-between them, those are the thoughts of the character(s). It's because she can't figure out how to make italics or bolds work for her on the site.  
  
Aria: *folds her arms* Thank you, Twister. That's enough.  
  
Twister: Yeah. . . yeah. . . whatever. . . *flies away*  
  
Aria: At any rate. . . Thanks to Crockgirl13! If I told you how Sonic was getting along without his speed, that'd give away the story, now wouldn't it? *grins* Anyway, let's get on with "A Matter of Life or Speed" Part Three!  
  
(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)  
  
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents. . .  
  
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction  
  
Part Three: With. . . or Without?  
  
Sonic was awakened by the sound of worried voices outside of the hut. "Are you sure that he's alright, Sally-girl? Ah mean, you did say that he looked awful tired," Sonic heard Bunnie saying. "I think he'll be just fine. He is Sonic after all," Sally said. "Are you sure, Aunt Sally? You did tell us that he sprained his ankle while he was carrying me," Tails's voice asked worriedly.  
  
Sonic got off the bed and opened the door of the hut to face all of his friends. "Sonic, how are you feeling?" Sally asked. "My ankle's pretty sore, but other than that, I'm okay," Sonic replied dully. "I'm sorry that you hurt yourself while you were carrying me, Sonic. I feel like it's my fault that you tripped," Tails said, running up to him.  
  
"It's not that bad, Tails. You shouldn't blame yourself," Sonic said, ruffling the boy fox's hair affectionately. "But, you wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't been carrying me!" Tails protested. "No, it was dark, that's why I fell," Sonic said. "You know, I don't even remember falling asleep. In fact, I don't remember anything after we ran out of the factory," Tails said. "You were probably too sleepy to remember anything important," Sonic said, hiding some discomfort.  
  
"Okay. Does your ankle really hurt?" Tails asked, changing the subject. "It's just sore, but Doctor Quack says that I should stay off it," Sonic said. "Why don't we do some fishing by the ring pool? That way you'll be able to do something without being on your feet," Tails suggested. "Sure, I'll go get the fishing poles," Sonic said as he shuffled back into the hut.  
  
He found them leaning against the wall and picked them up. He and Tails didn't eat the fish they caught. They threw them back because they only fished to pass the time. He limped lazily over the crystal blue ring pool where Tails was sitting and sat down. There was a small can sitting next to him that had some dirt in it, but it was mostly full of worms.  
  
Tails grinned as Sonic went through his usual playact where he pretended that the worm he was putting on the fishhook was really creeping him out. As the little floats on their lines bobbed on the serene water, they talked about how everyone was elated that the mission the night before had gone so well. Sonic was careful not to tell Tails about what had happened after they had left the factory. He didn't want to tell him that his gift of amazing speed was gone forever.  
  
They caught a few of the little fish that lived in the pool, but when Tails was taking a tiny one off his hook to throw it back, the little fish wriggled out of his grasp and slapped him in the face with its tail before it plopped back into the water. Tails was alright, but some of the water from the fish had gotten on him and his face smelled like fish.  
  
They laughed about the bold little fish and Tails went to go wash his face off. While he waited for his friend to return, Sonic stared at the water of the pool. "The way you're looking at that, one would think that it's some kind of oracle," Sally said from behind him. Sonic yelped in surprise and spun around to see her. "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exaggerated. "Sorry," she replied sweetly. She sat down next to him.  
  
"So, have you two crazies been having fun catching little, tiny fish?" she asked. "Yeah, we have. Tails caught a little one that smacked him in the face before he could throw it back," Sonic said. "Sounds like the fish really wanted to get back in the water," Sally remarked, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
He gently laid his head on hers and said, "Sally, what would you do if something really bad happened?" She raised her head a little in surprise, but she put her head back after she could she that he was being serious. "I'm not really sure. What do you mean by that?" she asked. "Like, if I lost my speed or Tails died," Sonic said solemnly. "Sonic, is there something that you're not telling me?" Sally asked. "No," he lied.  
  
"Well, it would certainly be a great loss if you lost your speed. We often depend on you to do things that require your speed. Without it, we might not be able to do as much as we are against Robotnik," Sally said truthfully. "But, what if something happened to Tails?" Sonic persisted. "I would think that we would all be devastated. He's such a great kid. I'm certain that all of us would miss him terribly if he died," Sally said, shifting a little. "Oh, okay," Sonic said, turning his head to look at the pool again.  
  
He knew he couldn't tell her about what had happened just yet. She'd be extremely frightened and worried if he did. Sonic decided that he would eventually tell her, but now was not the time. He just sat there, wondering how he could tell them without causing them all to panic.  
  
It was getting late and soon, they could hear Rosie calling them for dinner. Sally helped Sonic to get up and together, they walked to the small pavilion that all of them had built so that they could eat outdoors. Sonic ate his favorite food, chilidogs, but his worries mad even his favorite taste bland. He quickly excused himself, saying that he wasn't hungry, and went back to his own hut to think about things.  
  
He lay on his bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear everyone outside, talking. He finally drifted off into a fitful sleep after a long while, his thoughts invading his dreams where he could not escape them. Unanswered questions racked his mind, mostly ones that puzzled about who Taimat was and why he or she wanted to help him in the first place.  
  
The next day, Sonic was walking near the outskirts of the village, thinking. "Oh dear, it seems my little request has caused you more trouble than I thought. How dreadful," a voice said suddenly. Sonic spun around to see if anyone was there, but there was no one in sight. "You certainly forget things quickly, my boy," the voice said scornfully. "Taimat," Sonic sighed. "Indeed. I see you haven't told them yet. You can't hide it forever," Taimat said. "Why do you care?" Sonic asked. "Well, let's just say I'm interested in seeing how your problem turns out," Taimat said.  
  
"I suppose I should warn you about this," Taimat said, "Your friend, Sally I believe her name is, is planning another raid. She wants to announce it tomorrow." "So, why are you telling me this?" Sonic asked. "Well, I'm giving you a chance to come up with an appropriate excuse to get out of it. Otherwise, your friends might find out the truth the hard way," Taimat replied. Sonic rolled his eyes cynically and said, "How do I know this isn't a trick and you've been sent here by Robotnik?" There was a pause before Taimat replied.  
  
"If had had really been sent here by that fat fool, I could have EASILY eliminated you and all of your friends, as well as any of your allies," Taimat said slowly and distinctly. It sounded very much like Taimat had something against the arrogant human, but it also sounded like dangerous territory to ask. "Then. . ." Sonic said. "Who are you?" Now a palpable silence stood between them. "Someone who wants to help," Taimat finally said.  
  
Something in Sonic stretched and snapped.  
  
"THEN WHY DID YOU TAKE MY SPEED FROM ME?!!" Sonic screamed at Taimat. "I'M USELESS NOW!! I CAN'T HELP ANYONE, NOT EVEN TAILS!!" His sprained ankle unexpectedly gave out beneath him and Sonic collapsed. The world was spinning and he suddenly felt sick. Everything was going dark and as Sonic hovered between consciousness and oblivion, he heard Taimat speak again. "Foolish boy. . . You're not as useless as you may think, but you'd never listen to me. I just pray that you don't do anything stupid. . ." Taimat said softly. Something soft brushed back some unruly quills from his face as Sonic blacked out and knew no more.  
  
Quotes from Part Four: Getting Back to Normal. . . Or Not. . .  
  
"I was so scared when we found you. . . You were so pale and cold. . ."  
  
"It's an energy core that operates all the SWAT bots in one-forth of Mobius."  
  
"Won't that be dangerous? I mean, won't that release a lot of energy?"  
  
Twister: You authors and your cliffhangers. . .  
  
Aria: *swats at him* Look who's talking. . . You muses and your attitudes.  
  
Twister: *jumps out of the way* *sticks out his tongue at her*  
  
Aria: Anyway. . . that's all for now, everyone! And I have one announcement to make: I haven't finished Part Five yet, so the next few updates will take a while. So, please, bear with me and all will be well.  
  
Twister: Yak, yak, yak, yadda, yadda, yadda. . . CAN WE GO NOW?!  
  
Aria: Yes, your royal fussiness.  
  
Twister: Humph. . .  
  
Aria: Until next time, read and review! *vanishes with muse in whirlwinds* 


	4. Part 4

Aria: Finally! I finished Part Five, so now I can put Part Four in! And, because has added the QuickEdit feature, I can use italics and bold!  
  
Twister: sitting with eyes half-closed in boredom Whoop-de-do... It's a miracle.  
  
Aria: rolls her eyes at him Unless you have something constructive to say, be quiet.  
  
Twister: flicks his tail defiantly Don't have to. I'm supposed to be a brat. I am a feline muse, after all.  
  
Aria: tosses a catnip mouse to him Here. Shut up.  
  
Twister: pounces on catnip mouse takes a long sniff gets a goofy look on his face Caaaaaaaaaatniiiiiiiiip...  
  
Aria: folds her arms with a smirk on her face So easily amused... Anyway, thank you to SSBM Master and Crystalstorm21 for reviewing. Sorry for not updating sooner, Crystalstorm21. I hope this update is as pleasing to you as the previous parts have been, SSBM Master. Why don't we get the new part started now, so everyone can enjoy it? snaps her fingers  
  
**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)  
  
Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...  
A Matter of Life or Speed: An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**  
  
**Part Four: Getting back to Normal...Or Not...  
**  
Sonic shot up into a sitting position. Where was he? He looked around and saw that he was back in his hut. How had he gotten here? Where was Taimat? What happened?!  
  
Suddenly the door opened and revealed Sally, with an exceedingly troubled look on her face. She saw Sonic sitting up in bed and a smile of relief crossed her face. She rushed up to him and hugged him fiercely. "Sonic! Don't ever do that again! We got worried when you never came back and then we found you, knocked out cold in the forest!" she cried. Sonic looked at her in shock. "Sal..." he began, but the girl cut him off with a kiss before he could finish. Sonic's eyes widened and he stiffened slightly. When Sally pulled away, her eyes were full of tears.  
  
"I was so scared when we found you... You were so pale and cold... I thought that maybe...maybe...something happened and...you might've died," she whispered. Sonic looked at her wordlessly. "I had Bunnie keep Tails busy while we brought you back and Doctor Quack looked at you again. I...didn't want him to think that you weren't okay..." she continued. Finally, the tears lost their balance on the lower lids of her eyes and fell down her cheeks, leaving streaks of salt.  
  
Abruptly, Sonic raised a hand and wiped the tears from her face. "Sally...you know I hate it when you cry... It's not like you... Please stop, please?" he said softly. Sally sniffed and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the salty droplets. "What happened to you?" she asked. It was a good thing for Sonic that the light was dim or she would have seen him pale. "I...think I lost my balance and hit my head..." he said, trying to sound vague, as if he couldn't remember.  
  
"So...do you think you'll be all right?" Sally asked anxiously. "Yeah," Sonic said, trying to muster a convincing grin. Sally finally smiled and said, "Well...because Doctor Quack says your bum ankle isn't healed just yet and we don't want you fainting on us, the raid I was planning for tonight is cancelled." "Awww..." Sonic said, trying to sound disappointed. Sally grinned and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Oh, come on, Sonic; there will be other times," she said. Sonic rubbed the shoulder she had hit as if it ached. "Ow... You hit too hard... Meanie..." he said pathetically. Sally laughed and said, "Want me to kiss it and make it all better?" "Yes, mommy," Sonic replied in a childish voice, tilting his head appealingly. Sally laughed and kissed his shoulder quickly.  
  
"There! All better?" she said. "Yes, dear!" Sonic said playfully. Sally laughed again and said, "I'll see you at dinner, speed-demon." Then she walked out of the hut. When she was gone, Sonic was thinking despondently to himself, _If only a kiss would make it all better, Sal..._  
  
When the smell of food became too alluring and his stomach mutinied against staying in the hut any longer, Sonic left the hut, only to get tackled to the ground by a blur of orange fur and twin tails. Sonic landed on his back with a loud "Oof!" and a cloud of dust blew up on impact. When the dust settled, Sonic pushed himself up on his elbows and grinned. "Hello, Tails," he said to the fox, who was sitting on his stomach, staring at him directly eye-to-eye. Tails moved his head back after giving the hedgehog a scrutinizing look. Then came the questions...  
  
"Where were you? Where'd you go? Why? What were you doing? Were ya talking to anyone? Were you spying? Why did you make Aunt Sally worry? How come they made me leave you alone while you took a nap?" Tails said, firing off questions as fast as he could think of them. He kept rolling off questions, despite the dumbfounded look on Sonic's face. When the boy fox at last stopped his barrage, Sonic burst into hysterical laughter. Now Tails was staring in astonishment as Sonic laughed so hard his sides hurt and he rolled onto his side, dislodging Tails and clutching his sides.  
  
"Ha-ha-ha-ha...I'm...ha-ha...sorry...ha-ha-ha...Tails... It's just...he-he-ha...when you started...ha-ha-he-ha...talking so fast...ha...I couldn't help it! Ha-ha-ha-ha- ha!!" Sonic gasped. Antoine came out of one of the huts and looked at Sonic and Tails critically. "Sonique eez obviously feeling better..." he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Sure is!" Tails said brightly, grinning widely at the coyote. Sonic's laughter subsided as Antoine gave him another critical look. Sonic threw a lopsided grin at him, to which Antoine raised an eyebrow. Finally, the coyote sniffed and walked back into the hut huffily. When he was gone, Sonic and Tails looked at each other and burst into laughter.  
  
"I declare! I thought I'd nevah heah this much laughtah outta you two! What's so funny, boys?" Bunnie said, walking up to them. "Oh, Ant's just being himself," Sonic replied. There was a muffled sound in the hut Antoine was in, followed by a loud, "My name eez not 'Ant', Sonique! How many times must I tell you?! My name eez 'Antoine' not 'Ant'!" "See what I mean?" Sonic said. Bunnie smiled softly. "Aw, Anty darlin', Sonic's just teasin' ya," she called. "'Anty'?" Tails said. Sonic coughed and choked at the nickname, trying to muffle a laugh.  
  
"Anyway...I came heah to tell ya'll that dinner is a ready," Bunnie said. "Oh boy! Dinner!" Tails yelled. He immediately spun his tails around and took off, flying away. "Tails! Wait up for the rest o' us!" Bunnie yelled after him. "More energy than Dulcy-girl, that one," she said to Sonic. Sonic shrugged. "Can't blame him. He's huuuuuuuuuuun-gryyyyyyyyyy," he said, stretching out the last word. Bunnie laughed and picked him up off the ground with her robotic arm. "You're a comin' with me, Sonic," she said, following Tails's path as Sonic squirmed in her grasp. "I can walk you know!"  
  
Later...when everyone had finished eating and were all still gathered, Sally laid out a map on a table. She pointed a finger at a place on it. "This," she said, "Is a very strategic point for Robotnik. It's an energy core that operates all the SWAT bots in one-forth of Mobius." She paused to look at the faces of the Freedom Fighters gathered. "If we knock out this energy core, it will greatly cripple Robotnik's control on our part of Mobius and he'll have to draw from other areas to make up for it," she continued. Rotor spoke up. "Who found out this?" he asked. Sally's face looked like stone and she replied, "Sir Charles."  
  
Silence...  
  
"Is Uncle Chuck okay?" Tails asked quietly, looking up at Sonic. Sonic smiled slightly and ruffled the young fox's hair. "I'm sure he's gonna be just fine," he said reassuringly. Tails grinned and smacked Sonic's hand away. "No touching," he said. A small titter passed through the group. Sally's face softened and she smiled.  
  
"So...Sally, you said that the energy core near us only covers a part of Mobius. What about the rest of it?" Dulcy asked. "There are other energy cores in other parts of Mobius and the other Freedom Fighter groups are now looking for them," Sally replied. "But first, we have to knock out this one, so that the others will know the best way to approach the other energy cores," she added. "So, what do we do, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked. "Sir Charles is now trying to locate the reactor of the energy core. If he can find it, all we have to do is set off a reaction in it and the entire energy core will blow up," Sally said. "Won't that be dangerous? I mean, won't that release a lot of energy?" Rotor said. "It will," Sally replied, "But this core is in an area where no one lives." "Where eez zat, princess?" Antoine asked. If she wasn't a furry, Sally would have paled. "Murk Swamp," she said.  
  
**Quotes from Part Five: Perils  
**  
_**"Spread out and search! Find the intruders!"  
  
"SWAT bots aren't supposed to fly!"  
  
"This is a war, after all. We have to expect the worst all the time."**_  
  
Twister: is lying lazily on his back with the catnip mouse between his paws and the goofy look still on his face Caaaaaaaaaatniiiiiiiiip...  
  
Aria: covers a smirk with her hand He's still enjoying the seventh heaven produced by his kitty-marijuana. He'll be angry later when he realizes how ridiculous he looked.  
  
Twister: is lying asleep on the floor, drooling Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...  
  
Aria: grabs a camera and takes a picture of him Hehehe...this will make good blackmail for that sassy brat. Anyway, I've started work on Part Six, so I'm hoping to have another update soon. smiles slyly Though, if I get enough reviews, I could have it sooner. Sound like a good deal, everyone?  
  
Twister: snores, and rolls over in his sleep, getting drool on his fur  
  
Aria: That's everything for now. See you all in the next update. Until then, happy reading and reviewing! vanishes with muse in whirlwinds


	5. Part 5

Aria: Hello, everyone! I've finished Part Six now, so Part Five is ready and rarin' to go!

Twister: -is sitting far off, flicking his tail angrily- ...

Aria: Ignore him. He's mad about how stupid he was acting last time, just as I predicted.

Twister: You had no right to take a picture!

Aria: Sure I did. I'm the authoress **and** the hand that feeds you. So, stop complaining. At least the fairies aren't here to tease you about it.

Twister: -growls- Your pet fireflies are the last people I want around me.

Aria: -sticks her tongue out at him- Grump-butt. Anyway, thanks to Crocgirl13, Crystalstorm 21, and Sally Acorn. He'll tell them eventually, Crocgirl13; I can assure you of that. I'm glad you don't mind the wait, Crystalstorm21. I hate to disappoint others. Thanks for the compliments, Sally Acorn. -smiles happily- Gee, I didn't know that. I hope that's optional, or I'd have to edit a LOT of work! Ugh...I can just imagine how long that would take...

Twister: So stop imagining it. Start the story!

Aria: Alright! I'm starting it! I'm starting it! -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Five: Perils

About a month and a half later, far to the southwest of Robotropolis, the small group was creeping stealthily in the bushes alongside a worn dirt road. "Ugh! What eez that 'orrible smell?" Antoine complained, covering his nose with his arm. "That's the smell of sulfur and methane gases coming from the swamp," Rotor said, peering slightly over the edge of his bush. "Stay down!" Sally hissed. "There might be security drones!" "Aunt Sally, I'm cold an' dirty an' tired," Tails whimpered pitifully. "You're the one who wanted to come along so much," Sonic whispered. "I didn't think we'd be walking so much or that I wouldn't be able to fly..." Tails said. "Boys!" Bunnie scolded.

Her voice was slightly louder than she meant it to be and all of them stiffened as her shout echoed around the area. "Don't move unless I say 'now'..." Sally mumbled. Suddenly, they heard a buzzing sound in the distance. "Run for the swamp! Now!" Sally said as loud as she dared. Without a moment's hesitation, they all ran into the mucky fen.

They all faced different problems as they all entered the swamp. Bunnie made a loud squishing sound as she ran into the mire and immediately started sinking. Antoine wrinkled his nose in disgust and straight away tripped over a tree root and fell into the sludge. The laces of Tails's sneakers became weighted down with mud and Sonic had to help him retie them after the fox boy tripped. Sally tried tugging at a long vine to help Bunnie, but she pulled too hard and fell backwards. Rotor had the best luck out of the entire group, as his wide flippers acted somewhat like snowshoes on snowdrifts and allowed him to stand on the thick mud.

Sonic pushed Tails into a tree and went over to help the others. Sally had gotten up and was now scraping mud off herself, though much of it still clung to her fur in clumps. Antoine was struggling to free himself from the viscous mud and Bunnie didn't look at all happy with mud up to her hips. Sonic pulled Antoine out of the mud as Sally threw the vine to Bunnie, who tied it on at once. Once Rotor and Sally had pulled Bunnie out of the muck, Tails's ears pricked and he looked in the direction from which they had come.

"What is it, Tails?" Sally asked. Tails kept looking until his eyes widened. "SWAT bots!" he yelped. "Oh no!" Bunnie gasped. "Sally-girl, what are we gonna do?!" Sally looked around them and observed that Tails was hiding in a tree. That gave her an idea. "Everyone in the trees! NOW!" Sally ordered.

Bunnie quickly picked out a seemingly sturdy tree and used her robotic arm to haul herself into it. Sonic scrambled up Tails's tree and Tails immediately clung to him in fright. Sally shoved a petrified Antoine into a tree and climbed up another one. Poor Rotor... His fins might have been useful against the mud, but they were useless for climbing trees. As they all saw the SWAT bots approaching, Bunnie grabbed Rotor and put him in a tree.

They all held their breath and stared in alarm at the SWAT bots as they peered into the dank bog. With much difficulty, they entered the quagmire.

They all peered in alarm at the robots, keeping themselves as well-hidden as they could. Bunnie was almost thankful for the mud that disguised her metal parts. At the front of the SWAT bot group was a slightly larger SWAT bot with gold-painted insignias on it. "Spread out and search! Find the intruders!" it ordered the others in a robotic monotone. Everyone froze in his or her tree as the robots began to spread out into the bog. However, having taken a few steps into the murk, every one of the robots became trapped in the thick mud. Sally shot a glance at Sonic, which clearly read: "Maybe they'll give up and go away now."

After the robots struggled for a good five minutes, the head SWAT bot ordered, "STOP!" The robots in the troop froze. "Turn on jet packs!" it commanded. The group in the trees watched with anxiety as the robots rose out of the mud via jet packs that were strapped to their backs. Powerful gushes of air were used to do the job and soon every single SWAT bot was freed. "Continue search of Sector E7!" the head SWAT bot ordered. The robots began their search.

The SWAT bot troop diligently and meticulously searched the area, leaving no stone unturned and no bush uninvestigated. Luckily, they didn't bother to look into the thick foliage of the trees. After what seemed like forever, the head SWAT bot finally ordered, "No intruders found in Sector E7. Report back to base immediately." At the order, the troop formed an organized unit and marched off.

Everyone gave a unanimous sigh of relief. One by one, they all dropped out of the trees and onto the spreading roots of each tree. "That was a fright! I nevah want that to happen again!" Bunnie said, shuddering. "Aunt Sally!" Tails said, flying over to her. "SWAT bots aren't supposed to fly!" Sally patted his head with a shaking hand. "I know, Tails. This hasn't happened before," she said. "Vhat are ve going to do eef the SWAT bots can fly?" Antoine said, shaking his head. "Swat them?" Rotor half-joked. Suddenly, something heavy thumped to the earth behind them. They all froze, and slowly turned to see...

"Gee! You guys are really are hard to follow, ya know? Especially since it's so hard for a big girl like me to hide in those teeny-weeny bushes you all hid in!" Dulcy said, brushing bits of bracken off her scales. Everyone relaxed. Dulcy noticed and asked, "Hey, did I miss something?" Tails launched into telling her about the "big scary SWAT bots" that "snuck up behind them" and they "barely had any time to avoid them." While they were conversing about that, the others were discussing what they should do about the SWAT bots' new appendage.

"This could really pose a big problem for us in the future," Sally said anxiously. "What if Robotnik could make them actually **_fly_**?!" she said with a look of horror on her face. "Calm down, Sally," Rotor said reassuringly. "Even though Robotnik was able to give the SWAT bots the ability to hover by using attached jet-packs, it would be extremely hard for him to create many mass-produced SWAT bots that could fly as easily as any bird. They're simply too dense and not aerodynamic enough for it," he explained. "We can't just assume that because the SWAT bots can't fly Robotnik won't try," Sonic said. "This is a war, after all. We have to expect the worst all the time," he stated bluntly. "Sonique eez right," Antoine said. "For once," he added. Sonic snorted in slight annoyance. "So, Sally-girl, it seems like we need ta shut down that ol' energy core now, don't it?" Bunnie said softly. Sally sighed wearily and said, "Yes. We don't have any other choice."

After progressing slowly and cautiously through the swamp for hours on end, the small band reached a part of the swamp that wasn't so muddy and damp. The ground was much drier and harder and thick undergrowth covered the ground and made any advance difficult. The trees were different from those within the dank swamp; these were rough-barked hardwoods, tall and with heavy layers of foliage, blocking out any light that could have filtered through the thick smoke from the nearby energy core.

"Hey, there's something through those trees!" Tails hissed suddenly. Everyone jolted in surprise at his unexpected exclamation, but when they investigated, the tall, metallic walls of the energy core loomed not far away. "We're here," Sally whispered. Whether her voice held an inflection of terror or awe, no one could tell.

**Quotes from Part Six: Infiltration**

"_**The core will be the most difficult challenge."**_

"_**Tails and I will have to count on Sonic to get us out of there."**_

"_**It's that core and our lives we have to worry about now. We're going to need all the luck we can get."**_

Aria: I'll bet everyone's wondering what they're going to do now. Oh well...they'll just have to wait until I finish Part Seven.

Twister: -yawns- ...and if you're playing your cards right, that'll be the most dramatic one yet.

Aria: -turns red- Ack! Twister! I haven't even **written** Part Seven yet! How can you say that?!

Twister: -scratches his ear- Easy... I did help you with Part Six and I can tell by the way it ends out.

Aria: Smart Alec. We shall see!

Twister: Durn tootin'.

Aria: -sweatdrop!- Okay...I'd better go. He's starting to talk like a redneck and it's scaring me. Hope everyone liked the latest installment! Please read and review! -vanishes with muse into whirlwinds-


	6. Part 6

Aria: -crosses her arms- I got only two reviews? How disappointing...

Twister: -standing off to one side, with fur bristling and his eyes narrowed- How **_dare_** you leave me alone for **_five _**days?!

Aria: -glares at him- Do you think I wanted to? You get a job where you have to be there for **_nine freakin' hours_**, standing on your feet for eight, and **_then_** we'll talk!

Twister: -hisses and turns around sulkily-

Aria: -eyes flicker- -shakes her head- Sorry about that. I recently got a job and I haven't been able to do any work whatsoever because of it. However, I finished Part Seven **and** a fraction of Part Eight before that.

Twister: Just tell them about what else is new already!

Aria: -shoots an evil look at muse- ...Anyway...I'll be on a vacation from the 22nd to the 28th of August, and I don't know if I'll be able to update (I kinda need internet access, people). At any rate...thank you again to Crocgirl13 and Crystalstorm21. I'm glad you both liked Part Five. Seems like I can always count on you two to review, huh? Wish I could count on everyone to be as faithful in reviewing as you. This story is so ignored...

Twister: Ignored like the way I'm ignoring you.

Aria: -smirks- Then, why are you talking to me?

Twister: -coughs and pretends to be very interested in washing his wings-

Aria: -sticks her tongue out at him- Now, then, let's start Part Six, shall we? -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Six: Infiltration

"Sooooooooooooo... What do we do now? I mean, does anyone have a plan? Or do we just charge in and wing it?" Sonic joked. "If anyone's gonna wing anything, it'll be me!" Dulcy said. Her statement relieved some of the tension of the group. Sally smiled as she pulled a folded piece of paper out of her vest. "We were lucky enough that Sir Charles was able to get us a map of the energy core. We can plan our raid that way," she said.

After she had unfolded and spread the map out on the ground, the group gathered around it. "Judging from our position on the outskirts of the swamp, we're on the east side of the building," Rotor said, pointing to the map. "Alright," Sally said, taking a small pencil out and marking their present location. "Eet would seem zat Sir Charles has marked where the most SWAT bots are and points of weakness," Antoine said. Sally kept highlighting things as the others pointed them out.

"I'm guessing that," Tails said, hovering in the air, pointing at a large area where a great concentration of SWAT bots was, "the energy core is there." Sally ruffled his hair and said, "Thanks for the observation, Tails. But, that was already marked." She indicated that the area he'd pointed to was marked, "Core." "Whoops," Tails said. "It's okay, lil' bro. You just didn't notice that. But, you were still right," Sonic said, nudging him. "Hey, that's right!" Tails said brightly. "Tails," Sally interrupted, "I don't mean to be unkind, but you're blowing dust around. Could you go talk to Dulcy while we make a plan?" "Sure!" Tails said, flying over to Dulcy.

"Now, then," Sally said, clearing her throat. "These seem to be the easiest places to get into," she said, pointing to areas she'd starred. "However, there always seems to be a danger zone cutting them off," she also noted, pointing to areas circled and labeled "Security." "So, what I suggest is something like the plan we had for our last mission," she said. "We need someone to act as a distraction and draw most of the security away from the area the rest of us will be using to get inside," she suggested. "And, by looking at this map, there seems to be a security control room," Rotor said. "If, once we're inside, someone else sneaks into the security control room and deactivates things like security cameras and traps, it'll be safer for the others to continue onward to the core."

"Those ideahs sound dandy," Bunnie said, "But, what about the core?" Sally sighed. "The core will be the most difficult challenge. It's well guarded and its controls are unreachable unless you can fly because it's suspended at the center of the room somehow and there are no walkways to get to it," she said. "And, even so, there's still the matter of getting out and away before the core explodes." "So, why don't we just choose groups already and decide how to go through with this?" Sonic said. "Keep your quills on, Sonic; I'm getting there," Sally chided. "How I think this will work best is if Dulcy acts as our distraction, pretending to be breaking into the energy core. While she drawing attention away, the rest of us will be on the other side of the building, breaking in through the air vents." Sally was pointing to the area she was referring to.

"Once inside, Rotor, Antoine, and Bunnie will find the security control room," she said, moving her finger along the route they should take, "and disable the main security problems. While they're getting into the control room, Sonic, Tails, and I will proceed to the core. We'll have to take out the security robots first, before Tails can take one or both of us over to the core and hack into the core's controls and figure out how to get it to haywire. Once Rotor, Antoine, Bunnie, and Dulcy are finished with their missions, they should retreat and regroup outside, getting as far away from the core as possible. Tails and I will have to count on Sonic to get us out of there."

Sonic froze when he heard Sally's last sentence. Something had swept over him and filled his thoughts. He couldn't place whatever it was, but a vague feeling of guilt was there. "Sonic? Hey, Sonic!" Sally said, interrupting Sonic's thoughts. "Huh? What?" Sonic mumbled. "I asked you a question. Did you bring a power ring with you?" she asked. "Yeah," Sonic replied. "Good. You'll need it," she said, turning back to the map. An unfamiliar feeling clawed at Sonic's mind with stubborn purpose while the others worked out the details of the plan. He shook his head to clear his mind and the feeling faded.

"Alright, everyone! Ready?" Sally asked, returning the refolded map to her vest. "Ready!" the other Freedom Fighters chorused. "Then, let's get busy!" Sally said. Dulcy jumped into the air and flew directly into the sight of the energy core's guards. Soon, they could hear loud monotone orders being given and laser shots being fired. "Okay, everyone. Follow me," Sally said, plunging out of the bushes.

They were careful to avoid being spotted, but all attention was turned towards Dulcy, teasing the robots as they tried to attack her, so no security was active near them. When they reached the wall where the air vent was, Bunnie knocked out the screen covering it and hauled herself into it. She used her robotic arm to pull everyone else into the vent and when everyone was inside, she closed the vent again.

"Okay, which way now, O fearless leader?" Rotor asked. Sally squeezed her way to the front. "First," she said, "Let's get into a line, so that we're not all cramped up against each other!" Once that was done, Sally grabbed out the map again and once she knew where to go, they followed her, crawling through the vent. Abruptly, she stopped and Sonic, who had been behind her, bumped into her, making him stop with a soft "ow!", causing Tails, who was behind him, to yelp in pain when he bruised his nose and again when Rotor bumped into him, squeezing him and his tails, and causing Antoine to gasp for mercy when he was caught in between Rotor and Bunnie. In short, a chain-reaction of ouchies.

"Sally-girl, what's goin' on up theah?" Bunnie demanded. Sally looked over her shoulder. "This is where we need to get out," Sally replied. "Bunnie..." "Ah got it, ah got it," Bunnie said, making her robotic arm snake around her companions ahead and move the screen out. Sally started to jump out when Bunnie grabbed her by the collar of her vest. "Nuh-uh, Sally-girl. Ah won't have ya breakin' an ankle by jumpin' out o' a vent. Just lemme lower ya down, nice and easy," Bunnie scolded. Once Sally was safely on the floor, Bunnie lowered the others down and finally herself.

"So, ah guess we'll be communicatin' through the walkie-talkies, now won't we?" Bunnie asked, looking around the clinical halls. "Eet looks zat way," Antoine said. "We're counting on you three to make our job a little easier, remember that," Sally said. "We'll do our best, Sally," Rotor said. "You guys know where to go, right?" Tails asked worriedly, hovering in the air. "Sure do, Tails. Don't worry about us, sugah," Bunnie said reassuringly. "Good luck, you guys," Sonic said softly. "Good luck to you, too. Now get outta here before they have the guard on us!" Rotor said, running down one hall with Bunnie and Antoine following.

When they had run out of view, Sally said, "Come on, guys. They'll be fine. It's that core and our lives we have to worry about now. We're going to need all the luck we can get." She started running down a hall opposite from where Rotor, Bunnie, and Antoine had gone. Tails flew after her. Sonic hung back a little. Something didn't feel right with him and it was more than a little disturbing. He shook off his feeling and ran down the hall after Tails and Sally.

**Quotes from Part Seven: The Energy Core**

"_**Priority One: Hedgehog. Orders: Exterminate."**_

"**_I had the cameras focus in on the guards in the core. There is no mistaking them_**."

"_**Only Robotnik would stoop to such a low level."**_

Aria: I hope everyone liked Part Six. And...I HOPE EVERYONE WILL REVIEW!!

Twister: -is covering his ears with his paws on the floor- For Pete's sake...she's loud!

Aria: But for now, farewell. -vanishes into whirlwinds with muse-


	7. Part 7

Aria: -stretches- Ahhhhhhh... Nothing like a good writing session to relax the mind...

Twister: -walks into room carrying catnip mouse- Catnip's better.

Aria: You're only saying that 'cause you're a furball.

Twister: So? -sits down- I'm **supposed** to be a furball. You like furballs, remember?

Aria: Not the ones you hack up behind the couch.

Twister: -rolls his eyes- You know what I meant!

Aria: Duh! I am the authoress, after all. Speaking of which...thanks again to Crystalstorm21 and Crockgirl13. Sorry, but seeing as how suspense is in the genre of the story, I'll have to just keep on killing you with suspense until the very end of the story.

Twister: I'm warnin' you; she's got some doozies ahead.

Aria: He's right, but why don't you see for yourselves? -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Seven: The Energy Core

As the trio ran down the hallway, suddenly, Sally grabbed one of Tails's rotating tails and pulled him to the floor. He was about to yelp in surprise and pain when she covered his mouth and pointed to a security camera mounted on a wall. Sally pressed herself against the wall and motioned for Sonic and Tails to follow suit. They inched their way, slowly, along the wall, just **barely** staying out of the camera's line of sight.

Just as they were about to sidle out into a new hallway, Sonic caught sight of a troop of guard robots marching down that hall towards them. He grasped Sally's chin and turned her head to see. She froze and a look of alarm flashed through her face. She looked at Sonic and mouthed the words: "We can't avoid the robots, but if we fight them, we'll be seen." Sonic looked at her, at the robot troop, and back. He mouthed one thing: "Either way, we get caught. So, let's take them out." After this, he jumped into the hallway and yelled, "Hey, walking tin cans! Over here!"

The guard troop immediately froze in their tracks and droned, "Priority One: Hedgehog. Get him." Sonic dodged laser shots and ducked back into the previous hallway. "Honestly, Sonic! This is not a good time for impulsive decisions!" Sally cried exasperately. Sonic ducked out of the way of a laser shot and replied, "Well, do you have any better ideas?" "Uh-oh..." Tails interrupted, his ears and tails drooping and his eyes wide. Sally and Sonic cringed and turned around. The entire troop was right behind them.

"Uhhhh...can we talk this over?" Sonic said apprehensively. The troop buzzed for a second, before droning, "Priority One: Hedgehog. Orders: Exterminate." "Run for it!" Sonic shouted, pushing Sally and Tails away. They stumbled and started to run away, just as a laser shot rang out. "SONIC!" Sally cried, spinning around to see...

Sonic was moving away from the guard troop, which was being overwhelmed by the security camera they'd tried to avoid. It was firing laser shots at the robots so quickly they didn't have time to react. Sonic moved back to where Tails and Sally stood and exchanged a dumbfounded look with Sally. When the entire company lay in sparking and sizzling piles of wires and shredded metal, Tails exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement, "They found it! They found the security room!" A crackling noise punctuated Tails's exhilaration, coming from Sally's walkie-talkie. Sally hastily pulled the metal box out of her vest.

"Sally? Sally? Hey! Sally! Are you three okay down there?" Rotor's cracking voice demanded from the speaker. "Yeah. We're all right. I see you guys found the security room okay," Sally spoke into it. A low chuckle came through. "We had to smash up the guards at the door and the robots at the controls, but we got here okay. Antoine is still a little petrified," Rotor replied. "I am zertainly not!" Antoine's voice protested.

"Anyway..." Rotor said, "We have all of the security in the building under our thumbs. Except..." "Except?" Sally asked. "Except for the core itself," Rotor said, sounding a little embarrassed. "The robots in there don't take orders from the security controls. There are cameras, but...I'm afraid that they might...that they might be roboticized Mobians!" A short, but terrible silence floated in the air for a moment. "Are you sure?" Sally asked in a soft voice. "Yes," Rotor replied uncomfortably. "I had the cameras focus in on the guards in the core. There is no mistaking them."

"What will we do?!" Sally moaned, shaking her head. Sonic put a hand on her shoulder and took the walkie-talkie from her. "Rotor, is there anything we could use to immobilize them, temporarily, that wouldn't hurt them?" Sonic asked. "Well...stun guns might work if they were turned up high enough. There's a closet with some of them in it near you," Rotor said. "Anything else?" Sonic pressed. "Other than to run into them and knock them over? You'd break half your bones on impact," Rotor chided. "I'd just use the stun guns. I'll get the closet to open." "Okay. Sounds good. Thanks, Rotor," Sonic said.

He looked up from the walkie-talkie to Sally. Her face was pained, making her look so much older and unhappier. "Only Robotnik would stoop to such a low level," she said. "What'll they do when the core explodes? They'll die!" Sonic took a deep breath. "Sally, as cruel and heartless as this will sound, we can't save everyone," he said, slowly and gently. "They won't even feel it. They're better off dead. They won't be Robotnik's slaves anymore and they'll finally be free. You can't deny anyone that." Sally looked at him. "You're right. But, I still wish we could do something for them that won't result in their deaths," she said resignedly. Sonic smiled and handed her the walkie-talkie. "Focus on what we can do at the moment, Sal. We'll save the world someday," Sonic said. Sally nodded and stowed the walkie-talkie away. "Right. Now, why don't we get into the core?" she said. "After you, Aunt Sally!" Tails chirped. He took off into the air and flew down the hall, with Sally and Sonic in pursuit.

Rotor guided them to the closet he'd referred to and they decided that it would be best if only Sonic brought a stun gun to defend them with. Sally would have to hack into the core computer and Tails was just too young to handle a dangerous weapon. When they were reaching the hall that led to the core, Sally grabbed the walkie-talkie and said, "Thanks for everything, Rotor. We'll take it from here. You, Bunnie, and Antoine get out of here." "Right. Good luck," Rotor said, and the connection died.

Finally, they reached the short hallway leading to the core. Sonic carefully peered around the corner. "There's a pair of bulky robots standing at the doors. They've been shut down, it looks like," he whispered. "Rotor must've done that. He said that everywhere but inside the core is under the security room control," Sally hissed. They crept around the corner, just in case the robots weren't completely shut down. They had nothing to worry about, so Sonic and Sally kicked the robots away, being careful to damage them so that they would no longer work. A small password key was on the right side of the door. Sally quickly hacked into the password key and the thick metal door slid up.

"So, this is the core," Sally said. She looked out at the energy core. It was a colossal, circular chamber, well-reinforced all along the walls. Further down, the steel walls mixed with another, strange metal that not very shiny, but had a sort of matte surface. It was reddish gold in color and didn't yield to what it contained: a fierce, burning pool of bright orange acid. A firmly suspended, circular catwalk formed a ring in the chamber. A small catwalk pathway led to the main one from the entrance where Sonic, Sally, and Tails stood.

Yet, the most impressive thing in the chamber was the core itself. Encased in a thick glass sphere, a white globe glowed brilliantly at the center of the chamber. It was suspended by a steel pedestal of a sort. Wires snaked all over the glass sphere, entering at some points. Another catwalk was belted around the glass sphere, and, on it, a small control station was affixed against the sphere, to which all the wires flowed. Thick, angled pipes led away from the control station to the walls, obviously carrying away the core's power.

The core was patrolled by shining metal figures, each looking like an animal, each a victim of the Roboticizer. There were six of them: a dog, a cat, a fox, a squirrel, a rabbit, and a weasel.

"Hey, Sonic!" Sally said, shaking Sonic's shoulder. "Huh? What?" Sonic said dazedly. He had been staring at the core intently, so intently he hadn't heard Sally trying to get his attention at first. "You zoned out. We have to get to work," she explained. Sonic nodded. He glanced at the core nervously. It was a beautiful thing in a simple way, but it was the most powerful thing for hundreds of miles. That power worried him. _How big exactly will the blast be?_ Sonic thought. "On my signal," Sally was saying, "Sonic, you distract the guards. And while they're busy, Tails, you fly me to the control station. There's no turning back now."

"_There's no turning back now..."_ The words echoed in Sonic's mind. Suddenly, he broke out in a sweat. "Sonic? Are you okay?" Tails asked, noticing how his best friend had stiffened. Sonic relaxed at little and said, "I'm okay, Tails. Just a teeny, tiny bit nervous. There's a lot riding on us." Sally looked at them, courage lit on her face. "And when we complete this mission, just think of how it will help our fight against Robotnik!" she said. Tails grinned with pleasure. They were unaware of Sonic's inner turmoil. He realized that he had waited too long to reveal his secret, and now the two closest to him would pay the price. Truthfully, he had never been so terrified in his life.

**Quotes from Part Eight: Battles in the Core**

"_**I've got it! Now, all I have to do is set this timer for fifteen minutes and initiate the self-destruct sequence."**_

"_**Sally! Don't press the key!"**_

"_**Sonic, what are you talking about? You have a power ring, don't you? Even so, you're still fast enough to get us out of here before time runs out."**_

Aria: -laughs evilly- Ah, what a tangled web I have woven! I bet you're all going to be just **dying** for the next chapter.

Twister: -hiding under a cushion- She's scary when she's smug.

Aria: Well, at any rate, I can tell you that I won't publish the next chapter for...oh...a week, maybe?

Twister: A **_WEEK?!_**

Aria: -turns to him with a smile- Unless they find a way to change my mind, of course. Anywho, until next time, please read and review! –vanishes with muse into whirlwinds-


	8. Part 8

Aria: As promised, here's Part Eight for you all to enjoy!

Twister: It took ya long enough...

Aria: -sticks out her tongue at him- Nyah. At least it's here, right?

Twister: No.

Aria: Hey! You know very well that the system wasn't downloading the file correctly! Anyway, if you weren't so cute, I'd call you a snot-nosed brat.

Twister: Your problem, not mine.

Aria: Gah! He's frustrating! Anywho, thank you again to Crystalstorm21 and to Sally Acorn. I'm glad you like the cliffhangers. Considering "suspense" is the second genre, I have to leave some of it in each chapter. Plus, it's fun and makes for good inspiration for the rest of the story!

Twister: Speaking of inspiration, let's get this inspired part going!

Aria: Very well. -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Eight: Battles in the Core

It was so quiet in the Core's Chamber. Except for the metallic clank of the guard's footsteps on the metal catwalk, it was very quiet. "Sonic, now," Sally whispered. Tense, and shaking, Sonic fitted the stun gun into his hand. He took aim at the squirrel guard and fired. He had flinched before firing, so instead of striking its target, the shot spun away and hit the far wall with a loud crackle and a shower of sparks. "Oh, my..." Sally gasped. The six guards all halted at once. They turned their eyes to where the shot had hit the wall, then swung around to stare at the trio with frightening intensity.

"Well, that's one way to get attention," Sonic sighed. "Tails, Sally, you get to work; I'll take care of them," he said, hefting the stun gun again. "Be careful," Sally said, before she grasped Tails's wrists and he lifted her into the air. The guards followed them with their eyes. "Hey! Guys! The party's over here!" Sonic yelled, catching their attention. He fired again and this time, he hit the weasel guard. It froze in place, yellow sparks flickering over its metal body. The other five guards charged at Sonic, who quickly got out of the way and ran down the circular catwalk. Despite his fears, he was still determined to do what he could to help.

The rabbit guard, who was faster than the others, lunged at Sonic, who leapt into the air and fired at it as it sped under his feet. He landed on its shoulders and looked at the others resolutely. "Anybody else?" he said, tightening his grip on the stun gun. The dog and the fox stood still. But the cat and the squirrel jumped off the catwalk. Sonic blinked involuntarily, not wanting to see them plunge into the acid pool below. However, the two had leapt at the walls and clung to them in the nature of their species. The cat climbed up into the shadows of the ceiling and vanished. The squirrel merely gripped the wall.

While Sonic had been distracted by the cat and squirrel, the dog had taken the chance to attack him, with teeth gnashing and paws outstretched. Sonic barely dodged it before a pair of steel jaws crushed his leg. Poised, he studied the infuriated creature. It charged at him again, and it nicked his ankle as he twisted away. Sonic bit his lip against the sudden sharp pain. A sort of satisfied smirk formed on the metal dog's face. It lessened its guard a little. Upon noticing this, Sonic attacked the dog.

He ran at it and stunned it before it could react. He flipped over it and looked at the still unmoving fox. Suddenly, he noticed a discrepancy. The squirrel was no longer on the wall. Sonic looked down and saw the squirrel through the steel mesh, right beneath his feet. He gasped and had the sense to stun it before it burst a hole through the mesh underneath him. The fox still wasn't moving when Sonic looked at it again.

Sonic heard a feral growl behind him and spun around to see the cat, with shining claws unsheathed. It knocked him off his feet with a swift leg whip. Sonic rolled to the side before the sharp claws slit his throat. Hissing, the cat swiped at him and laid five bleeding scratches on his cheek. Sonic cried out in pain and quickly scrambled to his feet. Just as he lifted the stun gun again, the cat leapt agilely backwards and onto the wall. It climbed back into the shadows again.

Sonic walked slowly around the catwalk, tensed and wary. He listened carefully for the cat, but heard nothing. He looked from side to side, not wanting to be snuck up on again. Just as he turned his head to look to the right, the cat was standing there. It grabbed his free arm. Sonic screamed as its claws sunk into his flesh like horrible hypodermic needles. He struggled, but he couldn't break its grip. It was about to slash a deadly stroke at him when he blocked the hit with the stun gun. The metal to metal contact jarred the cat, causing it to loosen its grip on Sonic's arm. Sonic stunned it while it was still dazed. He carefully extracted his arm from the frozen grip, his breath hissing as the claws came out of his arm, stained with blood.

When Sonic turned around, the fox was standing there, regarding him with a deep, mysterious stare. It slowly went into a fighting pose, its eyes daring him to shoot. Sonic lifted the stun gun determinedly and fired. The fox easily dodged the shot and swept towards Sonic. It knocked the stun gun from Sonic's grip and shoved him backwards. Then, it crept backwards and assumed its fighting pose again.

Sonic got to his feet painfully, his hand to his chest, where he'd been shoved. A thin chill of fear raced through his blood when he spied the stun gun balancing precariously on the edge of the catwalk. He saw the fox studying him again and dove for the stun gun. It leapt at him and kicked him in the stomach as his hand closed on the weapon. Sonic gasped as the air was knocked out of him and he flew across the catwalk. He landed with a jarring thud. He tried to move and was rewarded with a flash of incredible pain.

With a soft whimper, Sonic curled into a fetal position. He didn't move a muscle as he heard the fox walking along the catwalk. He could feel by the vibrations in the steel mesh that the fox was coming closer. The fox's shadow draped over the inert hedgehog. The fox stood there, looking at Sonic, doing nothing. Unexpectedly, Sonic swung and fired at the fox. Shot at point-blank range, the fox had no time to respond, and was stunned.

Slowly, painfully, Sonic pulled himself to his feet. His hand clutched at the deep puncture wounds on his arm, blood streaming between his fingers. He was sore, scratched, and bruised all over; his wounds were **not** only from the guards, but from being thrown, knocked, and kicked down onto the hard metal catwalk, its mesh none too smooth.

Sonic dragged himself towards the core controls, where Sally frenetically worked, while Tails flew around anxiously. She hastily looked from the controls, to the screen, and back to the controls again many times, a tense expression on her face. Finally, a look of triumph appeared in her eyes. She was saying something to Tails, excitedly. "...I've got it! Now, all I have to do is set this timer for fifteen minutes and initiate the self-destruct sequence." Sonic's blood turned icy. **_Fifteen minutes?!_**

Frantic, forgetting all about his pain, and thinking only of his best friends' lives, Sonic tore down the catwalk to the closest point to the core controls. "Only one more thing..." Sally said, her fingers flying over the keyboard in the controls. "**SALLY! WAIT!!**" Sonic screamed. Startled, Sally looked up. Her finger floated a mere inch over one key.

Gathering what was left of his strength, Sonic leapt off the catwalk. Sally's eyes widened in horror. Her finger slowly descended subconsciously, still obeying her mind's original command. Tails flew over like a shot, to prevent Sonic from falling if he could. Sonic was almost at the edge of the control platform. Sally's finger was barely millimeters above the key. Sonic's foot touched the edge of the platform. Tails grasped his wrist and flew backwards. Sonic, desperate, cried out, "Sally! Don't press the key!"...a second too late, as Sally had already depressed the key and initiated the self-destruct sequence

Sonic's knees buckled and he collapsed. "Sonic!" Tails cried, grabbing the hedgehog beneath the armpits, bringing him up into a kneeling position. Sonic was unaware of Tails completely. His eyes were wide with horror and despair as he stared deep into Sally's eyes, which were as wide as his in shock. "Sonic!" Sally gasped. "What on Mobius happened to you?!" Sonic blinked, breaking his painful gaze, causing two crystal tears to slip from his eyes. "Too much, Sally," he finally replied. "Too much has happened to me. And, now, because of what has happened to me, we'll never make it out of here alive."

Sally was startled by his words. She knelt down in front of him, her eyes locked on his. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sonic, what are you talking about? You have a power ring, don't you? Even so, you're still fast enough to get us out of here before time runs out," she said. At this, Sonic laughed bitterly.

"Sally, I have to tell you something," he said, his voice grim. "It's the reason behind why I've been acting so strange lately, why I've been so restless lately, and," he said, taking her hands in his, "why Tails and I got back to Knothole Village so late after that mission to Robotropolis." Tails let go of Sonic and flew over to sit beside Sally. Sally looked at him with worry and a little fear. "Sonic...what are you trying to tell me?" she asked. Sonic looked into her eyes and swallowed. "Sally...I don't have my speed anymore," he whispered.

**Quotes from Part Nine: Despair and Hope**

"_**I almost wish that you had left me dead."**_

"'_**Cause this life ain't worth living if I don't have my little brother and Sal around to enjoy every minute of it with me."**_

"_**You've certainly impressed me, my boy."**_

Aria: Dun-dun-DUN!!

Twister: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO LET THEM HANG LIKE THAT!!!

Aria: -folds her arms- I can and I am, so shut up, sit down, and be quiet.

Twister: -sits down sulkily-

Aria: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Though, this is one heck of a cliffy, huh? -giggles wickedly- But, never fear! Things will work out in the end. You'll see. As for now, happy reading and reviewing to all and to all good-night! -vanishes with muse into whirlwinds-


	9. Part 9

Aria: Aiieee...I've dawdled in updating again... Ah, but I have an excuse this time! I've been pretty busy with schoolwork and such, so time for this has been limited.

Twister: -yawns- Yeah... -stretches- ...but, at least, now that you have your creative writing class, I get used more.

Aria: -shoots a look at him- You hardly helped with my last writing assignment, so shut up.

Twister: Whatever. -curls up and goes to sleep-

Aria: Thank you again to Crystalstorm21. Though, I must admit, I was expecting a better turnout with the last chapter. Oh well...you win some, you lose some. At any rate, let's start up Part Nine! -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents...**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Nine: Despair and Hope

Shock. Dismay. Disbelief. Anger. Despair. Terror. All of these filled Sally's eyes when she heard Sonic's revelation. Her eyes had grown so wide, everything shone clear through them. Finally, she looked down, hiding them from view. Her shoulders began to shake, so Sonic pulled her against him, only to discover that he too was shaking.

"...H-h-h-how...?" Sally whispered. "What?" Sonic asked. Sally looked up at him. "How did it happen? You'd better not be lying, Sonic the Hedgehog," she stated. Sonic shook his head. "I'd never lie about this, Sally," he said. He looked away from her to Tails. Never before had the fox boy looked so traumatized. Sonic's eyes watered just looking at him. Somehow, he began to speak, holding Sally tight against him.

"It happened after the mission," he began. "Tails and I had stopped to rest for a moment. We were talking about how well the mission had gone when Tails was shot." Sally stiffened in his arms and Sonic tightened his embrace. Sonic continued relating the story of how Tails had been killed, how he had fled into the forest and sprained his ankle, how he had met Taimat, and how exchanged his speed for Tails's life. When Sonic had finished, Sally was crying, at the sorrow Sonic had felt at Tails's death, at the sacrifice he had had to make to save Tails, and, ultimately, at the indecision and worry that had prevented Sonic from revealing the story until now. Sonic cradled her in his arms, trying to comfort both himself and her.

"Sonic..." Sonic looked up from Sally to see Tails. The fox boy stood perhaps only two feet away, tears coursing their way down his face. "Sonic, you gave up everything just to save me!" he cried, making more tears flow. He looked up at the core, which was glowing a brilliant red now. "I almost wish that you had left me dead. Then, maybe, we all wouldn't be doomed to die here," Tails said wretchedly. At his words, Sally's sobs were stilled and Sonic stiffened.

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT!!" Sonic shouted. Tails cringed and Sally whimpered. Sonic gently extracted himself from Sally's arms and walked over to Tails. The fox boy cowered, his ears drooping sadly, his tails hanging down, and tears still streaming from his eyes. Sonic knelt down before him, taking Tails's face in his hands. Tails's eyes were shut tight.

"Tails, look at me," Sonic said. Slowly, Tails opened his eyes. "Tails, I don't want you to ever think, even for a moment, that things would have turned out better if you had died and I had kept my speed," Sonic said, slowly and distinctly. "You're my little brother, no matter what, and I'd do anything to save you, even if I had to give up my life to do it. Same goes for Sally. 'Cause this life ain't worth living if I don't have my little brother and Sal around to enjoy every minute of it with me," Sonic said, with a smile.

Sniffling, Tails looked at Sonic with shining eyes. "You mean it?" he whimpered. "Of course, I do, silly. Would I lie to you?" Sonic said. Tails looked over at Sally, who had stopped crying and was now half-turned around to look at them. "Sally?" Tails asked. "He's right, Tails," she said softly. "We'd do anything for you and I know Sonic would do anything for us." With a cry of happiness, Tails hugged Sonic tightly. "Thank you, Sonic. You're the best person ever," Tails declared. "Careful, Tails. We don't want that to go to his head," Sally joked. Tails laughed and Sonic looked back at her with a lopsided grin. "Aw, c'mon, Sal. You know me better than that," he said. "Indeed, I do," she replied, reaching over to mess up the quills on his head.

Suddenly, a loud sound cut into the moment. "ATTENTION! TEN MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ATTENTION! TEN MINUTES CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION!" a loud, feminine monotone blared, echoing through the chamber. "Oh no..." Sally said, getting to her feet. Sonic stood and looked around them. Everything in the room was tinted red from the crazy red light of the core. Its once faint white glow was now a bright flashing of slowly brightening red.

"What will we do? There's no way we can get out in time, now that you can't outrun it," Sally said, fear flickering through her eyes. Sonic looked at her and Tails. "I didn't just save Tails to let you, him, and me die. Even if I may not be able to outrun the core's self-destruction, we can still try!" he said determinedly. Sally smiled and Tails nodded eagerly. "Let's do this!" Tails yelled, throwing a fist into the air. "Well, then, twin-tailed wonder, how about you get us over the acid?" Sonic said. Tails nodded and grabbed Sonic's wrists. After he had flown Sonic over the danger, he went back and got Sally.

Just as all three turned around to run back into the halls of the building, they stopped. A cloaked figure stood right in front of them, where the catwalk led back to the halls. "You've certainly impressed me, my boy. Despite the fact that you should have told them that a long time ago," the figure said. Sonic looked at the figure in bewilderment until he recognized the voice. "TAIMAT!" he cried. "In person," Taimat replied, sweeping a royal curtsy. Judging from that, and the skirts peeping out from beneath Taimat's dark cloak, it was obvious that Taimat was female.

"So, you're Taimat?" Sally asked. "Yes, I am, and it is an honor to finally meet you, your highness," Taimat replied, her voice as mysterious as always. "Now, then, on to why I am in this awful establishment," Taimat said, turning to Sonic. "As I have said, you've impressed me, my boy. And, I can assure you, I am not easily impressed," she said in a sagely manner. "But you...you have proven to me that you have one of the purest hearts, if not the purest, of anyone I have ever dealt with. Not only did you give up something very important to you, but you have proven that you do not regret giving it up and if you had been forced to, you would have given up more. You love your friends more than anything else, and for that, I admire you. And, even though you well know that you have a very little, if any, chance of escaping alive, you face this with immense courage and determination, and I respect you for that. And, despite the fact that I have observed that you are impatient, you have a tendency to tease, and it is obvious that you hate to be the messenger bird that gets shot, you have impressed me."

"And, because of all of these things, you are more than deserving of what I will return to you," Taimat said. "You mean...?!" Tails gasped. Taimat laughed. "Yes; I will give Sonic back his speed," she said. "That's wonderful!" Sally cried. However, Sonic was a little more suspicious.

"How do I know there aren't any strings attached?" he asked. Taimat chuckled. "Well...there is one string attached, but only one," she said. "And that would be...?" Sonic asked. "That you promise to keep your heart as pure as it is now, always and forever," Taimat replied. Sonic couldn't help but grin. "That's something I can't change," he said. "I know," Taimat laughed.

Once again, the monotone warning boomed. "ATTENTION! SEVEN MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ATTENTION! SEVEN MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION!" it screeched. "How annoying..." Taimat remarked. "Seven minutes?! Taimat, please!" Sally cried. "No need to worry, your highness," Taimat assured. "Now, if you and the young fox boy would please step away from Sonic here, I could conclude this ordeal," she said. Sally and Tails moved away from Sonic.

"Are you ready, Sonic?" Taimat asked. "More than I'll ever be," he replied. "Very well, then," Taimat said. She stretched out her left arm toward him, covered in a wide, flowing sleeve, pointing at him with one dark-gloved finger. Suddenly, her hand started to glow with a blue light and a bluish glow started to emanate from Sonic. Taimat opened her hand and held the palm upward. The bluish glow on her hand and on Sonic became stronger and brighter. Suddenly, Taimat clenched her hand into a fist and a column of blue light surrounded Sonic. When Taimat unclenched her fist and dropped her hand to her side, the column of light dissipated.

"It is done," Taimat said. "How will I know for sure?" Sonic asked. "I'd tell you to try right now, but now is not the time," Taimat said, looking up at the speaker that continually warned of the remaining time. She looked back at Sonic. "Just trust me," she said. Sonic nodded.

"ATTENTION! SIX MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ATTENTION! SIX MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION!" the speaker warned. "You'd better go. You barely have enough time as it is now," Taimat said. "But, what about you and the..." Sally began, looking back at the stunned guards. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself," Taimat said. "And as for them..." she said, looking at the guards. "I'll handle it. They'll be fine once I'm through with them." She brushed past them and walked up to the stunned fox. She reached out and touched the fox's hand.

"What do you mean? Do you mean to say that you can cure them?" Sally persisted. Taimat turned to look at her. "Princess, to say that I can cure them is folly: no creature, how matter unfeeling, could be fully cured of what this does to them. They'll suffer horrendous emotional pain once they're back to their normal selves. No, I cannot cure them; but I have the power to change them back," Taimat said. Sally made a move to question her again, but Sonic put a hand on her shoulder.

"I will see you again. Then, I will explain everything," Taimat said, turning back to them. "Now, GO!" she ordered. They nodded and ran out the door.

**Quotes from Part Ten: Not Out of the Woods Yet**

"_**We're going out the quickest way possible: out the front."**_

"_**FINAL COUNTDOWN INITIATED!"**_

"**_Let's go home."_**

Aria: Mysterious, ain't it? And for those of you who are humming the theme from _The Twilight Zone_, please zip it!

Twister: -twitches an ear- _The Twilight Zone_? What's that?

Aria: You don't want to know.

Twister: Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. Whatever. -turns around and walks off-

Aria: I hope everyone liked this chapter, despite the large amount of dialogue. Last chapter didn't have much, so I guess this one makes up for it. And as the name of Part Ten says, they're not out of the woods yet; they still need to get out. So, sit tight everyone; it's all coming together.

Twister: -pokes his head into the room- You still need to write Part Eleven.

Aria: I know, I know! I'll get on it. Sheesh... Anyway, that's all folks! Please read and review, everyone! Bye! -vanishes with muse into whirlwinds-


	10. Part 10

Aria: Yikes! How long did I wait to update! Ack! I'm sorry! Gomen nasai! Mea culpa! Lo siento! …I dunno any other ways to say "I'm sorry"…

Twister: -rolls eyes- She's spazzing out again…

Aria: I won't dignify that with a comment.

Twister: Suit yourself. -walks away, with tail held high-

Aria: Anyway, thank you to Miss Inadequante, Crystalstorm, and Spawn of Eighty-Four. Again, I'm very sorry for not updating in so long, but I just had a bad writer's block for a very long time and wasn't interested in much.

Twister: -pokes his head in- Except for video games.

Aria: -sighs- Always has to put his two cents' worth in… Anyway, hope y'all like Part Ten! Let's get this party started! -snaps fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents…**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Ten: Not Out of the Woods Yet

"ATTENTION! FIVE MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ATTENTION! FIVE MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION!" the speakers wailed. The clinical halls of the dying building were now much different from what they had been before. Alarms were constantly blaring, compared to the almost stifling silence from before; the bright, scientific fluorescent lights were replaced with flashing red beams; the building shook dangerously, contrasting to the rock-sturdy air the building had once had; and the robots that had once patrolled the halls were milling about in confusion.

One such group of robots was running around directly in Sonic, Sally, and Tails's path. "Comin' through! Make way!" Sonic yelled, as he began to smash his way through the confused robots. Sally and Tails followed and dealt with robots that got in their way as well. As they passed the group and turned a corner, Sally and Tails caught up with Sonic.

"I don't get it," Sally panted as they ran. "Don't get what, Sal?" Sonic asked. "Why didn't those SWAT bots attack us when we came into view, or even when we started destroying them? It doesn't make sense," she said. "Actually, it makes perfect sense," Sonic replied. "How?" Tails asked, flying up behind Sonic's right shoulder.

"The core controls them, right?" Sonic said. "Well, my guess is that because the core is about to self-destruct, the commands it's giving out are messing up the SWAT bots' programs. Either that, or it's not giving out any commands at all, and the SWAT bots can't think for themselves, after all," he said. Sally smiled. "You're right. That's probably it," she said, her boots squeaking as they rounded another corner sharply.

Suddenly, Sally noticed something and stopped. Sonic skidded to a halt and Tails hovered backwards before turning around. "Sal? Something wrong?" Sonic asked. "Yes," she replied, looking around her. "This isn't the way we came in." Sonic grinned. "I know. We'd never get far enough away if we went out the way we went in. We're going a different route," he said.

Before Sally could respond, Sonic scooped her up in his arms and took off down the hall. Tails bobbed in the air behind him, riding the wind current Sonic made as he gained speed.

"Sonic, I demand to know how you plan on getting us out of here!" Sally yelled over the wind whistling in her ears. "Stop squirming, Sal. I doubt you want me to drop you," Sonic said. Sally stilled herself and asked her question again. "We're going out the quickest way possible: out the front," Sonic replied. Sally looked at him as if he'd gone insane. "Just trust me," Sonic said.

As they ran down the halls, the halls gradually became larger and more ornate and the number of robots in them increased, further hindering progress. The alarms wailed more and more frighteningly. The red warning lights flashed brighter and more frantically. Despite these growing problems, Sonic charged on doggedly, Tails following patiently behind.

Abruptly, what was nearly a sea of SWAT bots appeared as the trio rounded a corner. Sonic and Tails barely stopped before they crashed headlong into them. Looking ahead, they saw the reason for such a huge number of SWAT bots: the main entrance to the building.

"What are we going to do now?" Sally wondered aloud. "ATTENTION! TWO MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ATTENTION! TWO MINUTES UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION!" the now-familiar warning bellowed. "Somebody really needs to shoot that thing," Tails grumbled. "Maybe later," Sonic said. He put Sally on her feet and turned to Tails.

"Tails, you fly Sally over the SWAT bots," he said. "Sonic, what are you doing?" Tails asked. "Don't worry about it, lil' bro. I'm just gonna take care of the door," Sonic replied. Tails nodded. "Sonic?" Sally asked. "Yeah?" he replied. "Be careful," she said. Sonic grinned at her. Tails grabbed Sally's wrists and lifted her over the robots.

Sonic faced the SWAT bots. Taking a running start, he charged into the crowd and began to break a way through. Some of the robots, though malfunctioning, attacked the blue hedgehog in reflex to his attempts. Sonic threw his attackers back and destroyed them. Finally, Sonic reached the great doors. He looked up and saw Tails and Sally hovering above. Sonic backed up a considerable space and paused. Taking a deep breath, Sonic broke into a run and slammed into the doors at top speed.

The entire building shook violently at the impact. The heavy doors groaned as Sonic pushed, using his speed to his him the force he needed. Yet, even as smoke was rising from the floor beneath his feet, not a single glimmer of light gave hope to the doors moving apart. Setting his jaw tightly, Sonic increased his pace, to **past** what he had ever done. Involuntarily, Sally gasped as sparks flew up in the smoke Sonic was kicking up. Finally, slowly, agonizingly, the doors screeched as a thin line of light appeared between them. Suddenly, and without warning, the doors flew back and a flood of sunshine poured into the room. All in the room cried out as the brightness blinded them. All but Sonic, who, caught in his own momentum, charged into the radiance.

Skidding to a stop, Sonic saw the swamp not far away. Turning around, he could see the building shaking vehemently. "TAILS! SALLY! HURRY!" he cried. The speakers, which had blared for so long, boomed out a new and more terrifying call: "ONE MINUTE UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! ONE MINUTE UNTIL CORE SELF-DESTRUCTION! BEGINNING COUNTDOWN! BEGINNING COUNTDOWN!"

Sonic called again, and this time, he saw Tails and Sally coming out of the dust of the building. He ran to them just as Tails released Sally's wrists, looking exhausted. Without any words, Sonic scooped Sally into his arms and signaled to Tails. The fatigued fox-boy dropped down in the air and clung to Sonic's back. Sally wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck and Tail's back, anchoring them all together. Sonic glanced at her and gave her a confident grin. He pulled out the golden power ring he had brought.

"THIRTY-FIVE! THIRTY-FOUR! THIRTY-THREE! THIRTY-TWO! THIRTY-ONE! THIRTY!" the alarms blared, counting down the precious seconds left.

Sonic shot forward, reaching the swamp in only a step. He zigzagged through the bewildering network of roots and muck, not pausing for anything.

In the distance, faint, but still calling, the alarms wailed.

"FINAL COUNTDOWN INITIATED! TEN!"

He was going so fast, Sonic's feet virtually floated over the thick muck as he ran.

"NINE!"

Sonic finally reached the outer ring of the swamp, the thick undergrowth and harder ground.

"EIGHT!"

Jumping into the air, Sonic ran on the heavy brushwood as if it were ground, not caring about how cruelly the sharp thorns and branches of the plants scratched him.

"SEVEN!"

Leaping from one clump of bushes to the next, Sonic could see the edge of the unbroken ground in the distance.

"SIX!"

The ground shook and cracked, causing trees to fall and block Sonic's way. Ducking and dodging the missiles caused by the core's dying, Sonic strove to reach the plains and the Great Forest.

"FIVE!"

Bursting out of the last heavy clump of thorny bushes, Sonic broke out of the undergrowth and ran over the vast plains.

"FOUR!"

The wind whistled as the grass was barely touched or crushed by Sonic's fleet footsteps.

"THREE!"

Sonic spied a dark line appearing fast over the horizon: the Great Forest.

"TWO!"

Sonic tore desperately towards the trees that encircled his home.

"ONE!"

Just as a massive crash and brilliant flash deafened and blinded everything for miles and a huge mushroom cloud went up, Sonic flung himself, Sally, and Tails into the safe reaches of the Great Forest.

They all lay frozen for a few moments, as if disbelieving that they still lived. But soon, Sonic looked up and smiled. "Sally…look…" he panted, pointing to western horizon, to the mushroom cloud. Sally lifted her head slowly and gazed in the direction he indicated. A twinkle came to her eyes and she looked at Sonic. "We did it…" she whispered. "We destroyed the energy core." She shook her head. "I can't believe we got out of that with our lives!" she said. Sonic took hold of her chin with one hand and looked into her eyes. "Well, we did. So believe it, Sal," he said merrily. Sally laughed and pulled him close, into a kiss. Sonic wrapped his arms around her tenderly and held her.

"Ewwwwwww…mushy stuff!" Tails yelled. Laughing, the two broke apart and looked at the fox-boy. "I wouldn't say anything if I were you, lil' bro," Sonic chided. "Why?" Tails asked stubbornly. "Because, sooner or later, you'll like mushy stuff too!" Sonic said, getting to his feet. Tails yelped and took off into the air, flying away with Sonic in pursuit. Watching them, Sally rolled her eyes and got to her feet. "Boys!" she called. The pair stopped and turned around to look at her. "What?" Sonic asked innocently. "We were just playing." She shook her head and said, "Don't you think it's about time we went home?" Sonic smiled and walked back to her. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he said, "Yeah, it is, Sal." He looked into the forest. "Let's go home."

**Quotes from Part Eleven: Home Sweet Home**

"_**So…what happened to you two when the coup took place?"**_

"_**Do you remember the roboticized fox you fought in the core?"**_

"_**Thank you so much, for everything!"**_

Aria: If you haven't already guessed, Part Eleven is the end! The last chapter! The grand finale!

Twister: Are you always this dramatic?

Aria: Shaddap.

Twister: Whatcha gonna do to me?

Aria: -tosses a ball of yarn across the floor-

Twister: YARN! -chases after it-

Aria: I hope everyone hasn't so forgotten this thing that they'll be around for the end. At any rate, I think it'll be satisfactory.

Twister: -tangled with yarn-

Aria: That's everything for now! Please read and review, one and all! See ya! -vanishes with hog-tied muse into whirlwinds-


	11. Part 11

Aria: Here it is, everyone! The final installment of _A Matter of Life or Speed_!

Twister: -is sitting on an over-stuffed suitcase- Can you hurry up? We gotta move out soon!

Aria: -looks at him sarcastically- As pushy as always, eh, Twisted Whiskers?

Twister: Humph.

Aria: Thank you **very** much to Crystalstorm for your last review! You've been one of my most faithful reviewers and we are honored! -curtsies gracefully- However, I don't think you all came to see me yap, so let's start Part Eleven of _A Matter of Life or Speed_! -snaps her fingers-

**(Disclaimer: Aria Zephyr does not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related material)**

**Aria Zephyr Proudly Presents…**

**A Matter of Life or Speed: **

**An Archie Sonic Fanfiction**

Part Eleven: Home Sweet Home

"Sonic! Sonic! Hey, Sonic!" Sally yelled, walking through the Great Forest. "SOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNIIIIIC!" she shouted. "Ouch! Sal, I'm not deaf!" Sonic's voice said. Sally looked up and she saw Sonic sitting in a tree. He grinned at her annoyed expression. "Have you been here the entire time?" she demanded. "Yeah," Sonic replied. He looked up at the trees' canopy, at the bits of sky revealed by the gentle breezes. One such breeze whirled through the trees and played with Sally's hair. She tucked a few loose hairs behind one ear and looked at Sonic again. Her annoyance had melted and she sighed. She climbed up the tree trunk and onto the branch Sonic was sitting on.

"It almost doesn't seem real," Sally said. Sonic turned his head to look at her. "What? That we really are alive and that I really did get my speed taken and given back to me?" Sonic asked. "Somewhat," Sally replied. She looked at Sonic and said, "It doesn't seem real that all of those things could have happened to all of us, but we haven't changed dramatically." Sonic laughed and put an arm around her. "But, Sal, we **have** changed!" he said. Sal looked at him in confusion. "Let me explain," he said. "Tails is busy learning how he can make himself more alert to danger, so that he can be his own hero. You're more enthusiastic than ever that we'll defeat Robotnik someday. And I'm…" His voice trailed off for a moment. He looked back up at the forest canopy for a moment, before looking to her again with a smile. "I'm careful to enjoy every day," Sonic said.

Sally smiled and brushed a few loose quills out of Sonic's face. "Oh? Now what could have brought about that change?" she said, her voice playful. Sonic caught her hand. His voice dropped to a low level as he spoke. "Sal, I could have lost both you and Tails. I understand now exactly how much you two mean to me…and how I know I'd lose everything without you," he said. "Then, I suppose my mission succeeded, after all," said a familiar voice.

Sonic and Sally turned to see a darkened figure leaning against the trunk of a wide-canopied tree, half obscured in the shade. "Taimat," Sonic said. At her name, Taimat stepped out of the tree's shade and into the small copse. Sonic jumped down from the tree branch, while Sally climbed down the trunk. "Greetings, Sonic, Princess," Taimat said, curtsying elegantly. "Please, call me 'Sally', milady Taimat," Sally said. Taimat looked at her with what seemed to be an approving gaze. "Very well. But only if you call me 'Taimat', Sally," she said. Sally smiled and nodded.

"So, Taimat, you promised us that you would explain everything to us when you saw us again. Well, now you have seen us again," Sonic said. "Sonic! Oh, why couldn't this experience have cured him of his impatience?" Sally cried to no one. Sonic scowled while Taimat laughed. "I am afraid that it is in his very nature, Sally. He, or anything else, cannot change it," she said.

"AUNT SALLY! SONIC! HEY! AUNT SALLY! SONIC!" Tails's voice echoed through the forest. He was flying through the trees, looking around. Finally, he caught sight of them and shot toward them. "Ah! Tails! Wait!" Sonic cried, as Tails barreled into him. When the subsequent dust cloud cleared away, Tails was sitting on Sonic's stomach, his face lit up with animation. "Agh…Tails, do you have to knock me over like a bowling pin?" Sonic asked wearily. "Yup!" Tails chirped.

While Sally was making an effort, in vain, not to laugh, Taimat walked over to the pair, chuckling. "Now, Tails, you don't want to flatten the poor thing, so why don't you get off him and we'll have the talk I promised you all," she said gently. She reached under the fox-boy's arms and lifted him easily off Sonic, who, now freed, sat up and smoothed back his quills. Taimat put Tails on his feet again and straightened up.

Meanwhile, Tails stared at her in fascination. "You're strong!" he said. Sonic, having gotten to his feet, walked up behind him, saying, "She'd have to be, to be that powerful." "Quite right, Sonic," Taimat said. The three turned and stared at her. "You see, to acquire powers like mine, well, you have to make sure your body is strong enough to handle them. A weak body would easily be torn apart by the mere effort to posses them," Taimat explained. Further stunned, they continued to stare at her. Sally was the first to recover, and she asked, "Why don't we start from the top? Taimat, who or what are you?" Taimat laughed richly. "Yes, that would be the best place to begin, now wouldn't it?" she chuckled. "Very well. As you wish," Taimat said, reaching up with both hands to the hood of her cloak. She dropped it with a simple gesture, and all three of them were shocked to see Taimat herself.

She was a fox. If you didn't know any better and only gave her a cursory glance, she'd look quite normal. However, she was unlike any other fox; her fur was snow white, so pure that it looked as if it had been spun out of moonlight, her eyes were a clear, sparkling, impossible amethyst; a circlet, which kept her short, chin-length hair down, seemed to be made of gold and silver warmed together, but not mixed, so that the swirls they made were clearly defined. Taimat unclasped her cloak and revealed a loose, flowing robe of lilac, belted at her waist with a leather belt and silver buckle. Any rich lord or lady would have scoffed at such simple dress, had they not seen the wearer clad in them; but, Taimat was astonishing.

It was a long time before any of them could speak. "Wh-wh-who are you?" Tails asked. Taimat smiled and knelt down before him, her skirts billowing out around her. She tugged off her gloves and took hold of Tails's chin. "Will you believe in everything I tell you, no matter how strange?" she asked. "Yes," Tails managed. Taimat looked at Sally and Sonic and they agreed as well. Taimat looked back at Tails and got to her feet again.

"I am a member of an order of enchanters and enchantresses. Before the coup, members of our order would travel to the ends of Mobius, searching for young and hopeful Mobians who showed promise of learning the arts of magic. These young ones would be trained in our hidden caverns, until they could no longer learn anything more from our order's teachings, and they could go about the world, to learn life's lessons," she began. She turned and looked significantly at Sally. "When the coup occurred, I was one of those members who set out to find new students, and one day I found myself strolling through the bustling streets of Mobotropolis." Her eyes glittered for a moment, but she continued.

"However, I was not alone. You see, at the time, I was eighteen, and in our order, at that age, marriage to another order member is considered by our elders. Oftentimes, if an order member is an emissary, as I was, they often pair two emissaries together, whom they feel would make a compatible couple. As such, I had been given a partner, another fox, whose name was Ichiro," she continued. Abruptly, she paused and looked down. When she raised her eyes again, they glittered once more. "Perhaps, I should explain to you what Ichiro was like?" she said, more to herself than any other.

"He was…tall, studious, and intelligent. He was a very skilled enchanter of nineteen, and was very good student and teacher. He had learned swordplay and fighting skills from a wise, old sensei, and he made sure to keep those skills keen. And, he was blindingly handsome!" Taimat described. "With his silky black fur, deep, chocolate eyes, well-toned body, suave style, and alluring charm, he was every vixen's dream. I hated him!" The trio looked at her, startled. Taimat merely smiled, before continuing.

"Oh, and how I hated him! I had disliked him ever since I was a young kit, just barely learning how to float a feather. He was always polite to everyone, including myself, but…he and I, we were like clashing titans. We competed with each other over everything. If I found a new book, he'd get it too and read it faster. If he planted an herb for spells, I'd plant one too and mine would grow larger and healthier. It went on that way for years, right up till the elders called us both to the Great Hall.

"At first, we both thought that the elders were going to give us an exam, to see which of us was progressing faster, but not so! The elders told us that they'd read our applications to become emissaries, and we both admitted this. The elders told us that we were both of marrying age, and we both admitted this. The elders told us that we were both to receive a partner, who was under consideration for our life mate, and we both admitted this. That was when the elders told us that we had been approved for emissaries and that we would be each other's partner. Needless to say, our reactions were predictable and in unison. 'WHAT! HOW CAN YOU CONSIDER THAT CREATURE FOR MY LIFE MATE!'" Taimat quoted. "But, we had no choice: when the elders decided to give a new emissary his or her partner, they had a trial run of a year. If they were not a compatible couple after that time, or they simply did not feel anything for one another, new partners would be found. And, so, I was paired with my arch-nemesis for an entire year.

"Now, this would be relatively easy; simply tolerate each other's presence without saying anything, right? Not so. The rules of this partnership required partners to sleep in the same bed with each other. And, when a group of experienced magic-makers lays down this kind of rule, they make sure you follow it. So began an already rocky beginning. The first few days, Ichiro and I spent shooting evil looks at one another, arguing over every little thing, and giving dire threats to each other when we went off to change or bathe. Oh, and we also slept as far away from each other as possible, with our backs facing each other.

"Yet," Taimat said, pausing. "After some time, Ichiro and I stopped snarling at one another; then, we stopped glaring at one another every breathing moment. It eventually boiled down to the fact that we no longer hated each other, but were actually staring to be very close. By the time the year had passed, we were glad for the elders' choice and were looking forward to being life mates."

"So…what happened to you two when the coup took place?" Sally asked softly. Taimat immediately looked down. "I was about to get to that," she said. "Ichiro and I were heading toward the center of the city, to announce ourselves and our mission to the king, when all hell broke loose. We heard screaming, wailing, shrieks, crashes, all manner of cacophony. It wasn't until we heard the terror in those cries and the announcement that **creature** made that we realized what was going on."

Sonic shivered, but said, "It was the Roboticizer, wasn't it?" Taimat nodded. "But, that wasn't all. Despite our power and training, our order hadn't prepared us for that; it was something it had never dealt with before, so its effects took us by surprise." A sob escaped her. "It was…**horrible**! We could only stand and watch as terrified people fled and were overtaken. It would have done the same to me as well, if it hadn't been for Ichiro… He had always been skilled at wards, so he threw up the most powerful one he could muster around us. He only had enough time to tell me…to tell me that he loved me and to ask me to find him…no matter what…" Taimat raised her face; shining tears were dripping down her cheeks. "He used the last of his energy to send me away, far away…so far…that the Roboticizer could not harm me…"

She tried to brush the tears away and Tails plucked at a fold of her robe. "You don't need to tell us anything more, Taimat. Please don't cry," he begged. Taimat smiled brokenly at him and ruffled his hair. "Such a sweet fox-boy you are, Miles. I can see how much you mean to these two," she said, her voice low. She looked up at Sonic. "Do you remember the roboticized fox you fought in the core?" she asked. Sonic stared at her for a moment. "Of course, but what has that got to do with anything!" Sonic spluttered. "Let me explain," Taimat said.

"After the coup, the order, most of them having avoiding the disaster, set out to finding a way to reverse the Roboticizer's effects. They perfected a spell that works, but it is complex and only a well-trained enchanter or enchantress can perform it without being killed by the energy loss. It's a slow way of doing things, but it's the best we have," Taimat said. "But, what does that have to do with the fox?" Sally asked. Taimat smiled slightly. "That creature is my Ichiro. After years of desperate and hear-breaking searching, I found him again," Taimat said.

"And, I wanted to thank you for leading her to me," said a deep, mellifluous voice from the forest shadows. A black fox strode forward, clad in a ruby-red robe. His chocolate-brown eyes flickered with amusement at the astonishment clear on Sonic, Tails, and Sally's faces. He bowed to them. "I am Ichiro, and I thank you deeply," he said. Taimat smiled at him and he slid an arm around her waist.

"Hey!" Tails piped up. "How come you were around after the factory blew up, Taimat?" Taimat looked at him sweetly. "I was searching for clues about Ichiro when Sonic happened to bumble into the next clearing. Does that answer your question?" she asked. She reached to ruffle his hair again, but he scurried out of the way and flew off. "He doesn't like being petted," Sally said with a shrug. Taimat smiled and said, "It's all right."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Sonic asked. Taimat started to speak when Ichiro cut her off. "I'm going to do what Taimat has waited ten years for: I'm going to marry her. But, before that, we have to go back to the order to see how the other four victims are doing," he said. "We'll try to visit every so often," Taimat said. "Who knows? Maybe someday we can help your half-robotic friend and your uncle?" Ichiro said.

"I guess we'll see you later, then," Sonic said, flashing a grin. "Thank you so much, for everything!" Sally said. The pair smiled at them. "Farewell," they said in unison and vanished.

"What a strange pair," Sally remarked. "I doubt they're any stranger than us," Sonic said with a wink. Sally elbowed him in the ribs in retaliation. "Hey! I'm innocent, I swear!" Sonic yelped. "Sure you are!" Sally said, running off into the forest, toward Knothole Village. "I'm gonna catch you!" Sonic said, chasing after her. He caught up with her easily and picked her up. Sally shrieked and laughed, as Sonic spun her around, heading for home.

**The End**

Twister: How the heck did you keep these people hooked for over eighteen months!

Aria: Authoress's secret.

Twister: Bleh. -leaps off suitcase pile and snatches up a catnip mouse- I'M READY!

Aria: Almost finished. -plunks down onto a suitcase to close it- Ready!

Twister: FINALLY!

Aria: Farewell, dear readers and loyal reviewers! You've been great!

Twister: Later.

Aria: This is Aria Zephyr, signing out. -grabs Twister- Bye! -vanishes into whirlwinds-


End file.
